Alternative Broadcasting? Maybe!Music Programming in College Radio in Israel

Abstract

ABSTRACT College radio stations have been operating in academic institutions for over five decades. The current study examines college radio playlists, which represent a uniform genre of music adhering to a fixed formula that relates to text, melody, rendering, and other features, through an analysis and comparison of the broadcast schedules of campus stations and leading national radio stations in Israel. Interviews were conducted with educators of college radio programs and current and former student editors of college radio programs. Findings indicate that playlists and programming content of college radio stations in Israel differ little from those of professional (commercial/public) radio stations. Moreover, college radio stations have no clear format, content or music policy: their music and contents reflect the topics of interest and musical preferences of the students. The interviews indicate that the students who operate the stations aim to join mainstream media after graduation, and are therefore motivated to adopt collectivist and conformist broadcasting patterns endorsed by the current cultural climate in Israel. In the process of learning, broadcasting, and producing on college radio, students become part of the “cultural producers” in Israeli society who align with the mainstream and produce products that conform to a centralized market.